I can't believe this is a real statistic...

A Stanford study found that nearly 10% of engineers are 'ghost engineers,' doing minimal work while collecting paychecks, potentially costing the industry $90 billion annually. This phenomenon is more prevalent in remote work settings, raising concerns about productivity and the impact on motivated engineers, potentially contributing to recent mass layoffs in the tech industry.

Ghost Engineers

• 00:00:05 Stanford researchers identified nearly 10% of engineers as 'ghost engineers,' who contribute less than 10% of the work of a median engineer. This has contributed to recent layoffs and a negative perception of engineers, with these engineers potentially costing the industry $90 billion annually.

Remote Work Impact

• 00:04:38 The study found that 14% of remote engineers are ghost engineers, compared to 9% in hybrid roles and 6% in office roles. This higher percentage in remote settings suggests that it's easier for unproductive engineers to hide their lack of work in remote environments, leading some companies to reconsider remote work policies.

Productivity Measurement

• 00:13:08 Commit counts and hours logged are not accurate metrics for engineer productivity. The speaker illustrates this with an example of a contractor who was highly productive but billed for few hours because he spent significant cognitive effort outside of those hours. This suggests that better metrics are needed to assess true impact.

Impact on Team and Innovation

• 00:19:05 The presence of ghost engineers negatively affects the morale and motivation of productive engineers on a team, as it can create a culture where minimal work is tolerated. The speaker shares his experience of being held back due to the presence of ghost engineers and suggests that this behavior can be contagious, leading to decreased innovation and team performance.

Opportunity for Beginners

• 00:20:46 Layoffs of unproductive engineers can create opportunities for recent graduates and other motivated engineers who may have been unfairly laid off elsewhere. This is an important aspect to consider as the tech industry grapples with the presence of ghost engineers.